As part of their coverage of Indiana Jones 5, Empire has revealed some brand new images of the upcoming adventure featuring Harrison Ford as the intrepid archeologist. While some rough details about the film were already known – it was believed to be set in the 1960s, and some behind-the-scenes images hinted at de-aging of Ford for scenes – not much else was known about the characters, until now.
The antagonist of the film, Voller, will be played by Mads Mikkelsen, and is inspired by a real-life Nazi who because an engineer with NASA, Wernher von Braun. Perhaps deliberately, or accidentally, the combination of a Nazi antagonist with round glasses and a hat would certainly seem like a throwback to Major Arnold Toht, the villain who searched for the Ark of the Covenant back in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark.
“He’s a man who would like to correct some of the mistakes of the past,” said Mikkelsen. “There is something that could make the world a much better place to live in. He would love to get his hands on it. Indiana Jones wants to get his hands on it as well. And so, we have a story.” Also featuring among the images is a shot of Boyd Holbrook, who it has been revealed will be playing a character called Klaber, who features in a major set-piece during a New York City-based ticker tape parade to celebrate the Apollo 11 launch. “I’m a lapdog to Mads, and a crazy one at that,” Holbrook said.
The cast also features Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Thomas Kretschmann, Antonio Banderas and Shaunette Renée Wilson. While the latter three have currently undisclosed roles, Waller-Bridge is known to be playing a character called Helena, with producer Frank Marshall revealing via Twitter that she also happens to be the goddaughter of Indiana Jones. Helena’s parentage, and how else she’s connected to Indy, remains a mystery for the time being.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull managed to bring in characters from the past who had long maintained an off-screen relationship with Indy, and Waller-Bridge is noted as being a fine writer in her own right, so finding the right connection between the characters should prove to be an interesting reveal. Helena does seem to be a major factor in the story, and Ford seemed to relish working with her. During an emotional address at D23, Ford stated that the film was “fantastic, and this is one of the reasons” as he gestured at Waller-Bridge. “Indiana Jones movies are about mystery and adventure, but they’re also about heart,” he explained. “And I’m really, really happy that we have a really human story to tell, as well as a movie that will kick your ass.”
Indiana Jones 5 is directed by two-time Academy Award nominee James Mangold and premieres in theaters on June 30, 2023.